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No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1 A. 85 R. J. EDWARDS. MACHINE FORSTRAIGrHTENING AND WINDING CLOTH, &d. No. 478,255.

Patented July 5, 1892.

(No Model.) '2Sheets-Sheet,2.

I A. &R. J. EDWARDS. MACHINE FOR STRAIGHTBNING AND WINDING CLOTH, &c.

No. 478,255. Patented Jlu1 y 5 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MACHINE FOR STRAIG'HTENING AND WINDING CLOTH, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,255, dated July 5,1892. Application filed July 6, 1891. Serial No. 398,540. (No model.)Patented in Ilngland July 4, 1885, N 1

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, ARCHER EDWARDS and RICHARD JOHN EDWARDS, subjectsof the Queen of Great Britain',residing at London, in the county ofMiddlesex, England, have invented anew and usefullmprovement inMachinery for Straightening and Winding Cloth or Paper or other FlexibleMaterial in Long Lengths, (for which we have obtained a patent in GreatBritain, No. 8,129, dated July 4, 1885,) of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to improvements in apparatus for straightening andwinding emery or glass cloth or paper made in long lengths; but it maybe applied also to wallor printing papers or other such flexiblematerial which it is required to flatten and wind or reel easily inrolls.

The object of our improvements are, first, to provide means by which theirregular edges of the fabric are straightened or brought up to a trueline, and this at the same time that the surface is being flattenedunder pressure; second, to provide means by which it is simultaneouslywound into a roll while the surface is flat and the edges straight, and,third, to provide means by which the entire apparatus can be readilymoved from place to place, as required, while the moving parts can beinstantly set in motion or stopped wherever the apparatus may be placed.WVe attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side view of theapparatus when in action; Fig. 2, a top view of the same; Fig. 3, a Viewof the opposite side of the apparatus when not; in motion; Fig. 4, aback view of the apparatus. Figs. 5 and 6 are side views upon a largerscale of the bearing for the reel-spindle closed and opened,respectively.

Similar letters refer to similar parts th roughout the several views.

Supposing our invention to be applied to emery or glass cloth which ismade in long lengthsand in the process of manufacture is hung up to dryin folds suspended from racks or rollers and which it is then necessaryto reel, so as to form rolls, it is found that such material, when dry,is somewhat stiff and inflexible, especially laterally, and that it isdifficult or impossible to straighten it so that when wound or reeledthe edges are uniform and even, its tendency in winding being to projectirregularly at its sides or edges, which are liable to be damaged if thematerial when flatis forcibly pressed or guided laterally for thepurpose of bringing its edges into a true and even line.

a a, are two vertical parallel frames of-metal' or other suitablematerial held together by stays where necessary. Across these frames attheir upper endis arranged a strong shaft 17, upon which is fitted andfirmly fixed, so that it cannot revolve, a cylinder or drum or part of adrum 0 of metal, or wood, covered with india rubber, leather, or othersuitable material, of considerable diameter, and of a length somewhat,greater than the width of the material-to be operated upon. In front ofthe drum we fix a board or guide (I, up which the material is drawn inthe way hereinafterdescribed, from a box in which it has'been stored, orfrom the fioor,'or from the racks themselves upon which it has beendried.

The guiding-board cl is hinged at 2', so that it can be turned up out ofthe way when required, and it has two parallel sets of pins f, somewhatwider apart than the Width of the material, which pins guide and tend tostraighten the edges of the material 6, which passes from the board dover the upper side of the fixed drum 0, and around the latter to itslower side, and thence to a spindle or reel. g, revolving in hearings inthe lower part of the frame a, around which reel it is wound as thespindle or reel is made to revolve.

For a sufficient part of its upper circumference the drum 0 is fittedwith parallel projecting flanges it, between which the material isdrawn, and these flanges being fixed at a distance apart very slightlygreater than the width of the material 6 the latter ,is straightened bythe pressure of-its edges against the flanges h, and is delivered fromthe drum 0 to the winding-reel g with its edges properly straightened,so that when wound upon the reel they'lie perfectly true. The lateralpress ure against the edges of the material, being applied where thelatter is stretched round the curved surface of the drum 0, is capableof giving sufficient force to straighten the material e without injuringor bending up the edges as would be the case if it were at tempted toforce them laterally while they were lying upon a flat surface. The partof the drum 0, which is not passed over 'by the material 6, may be leftopen as shown.

In order to keep the material 6 in sufficiently close contact with thedrum 0, while it is passing over the latter, a transverse shaft or bar iis arranged across the machine above the drum 0, and to this bar ishinged or pivoted a frame 7.: of cast-iron or other suitable material,the outer end of which is provided with bearings carryinga roller Z,which presses down the material 6 against the drum 0 below. The frame7.; also carries between the roller and the bar 2', upon which it ispivoted, as described, two or more bars 721, parallel with the axis ofthe drum, their lower side being somewhat rounded and coming (when theroller is pressed down) within a short distance of the surface of themoving material, which is thus kept down and prevented from rising orbuckling.

NVhen desired, the frame 7;, with the roller Z and bars m, can beraised, as shown in Fig. 3, from the material 6 around the centert'forthe purpose of introducing or adjusting the material, and it maybepartly balanced so as to. be more readily so raised, when desired. Theframe can be held down with any de sired pressure by adding or removingweights m carried by the bar m and the roller Z, which is preferablycovered with leather, india-rubber, or other sufliciently soft andelastic material, is prevented by its friction from revolving toofreely.

hen the edge of the material 6 is very much curled up we sometimesarrange lateral curved guides, (shown in dotted lines at 72. 7t in Fig.2,) between which it passes so as to be gradually straightened orflattened to some extent before it passes between the flanges upon thedrum, as already described; or where Very thin paper is being treated,the curled-u p edges may be so flattened down by a blast of air directedupon them from a fan or other convenient source, as shown at 71.2 inFig. 1.

Before passing from the drum 0 to the winding-reel g, as alreadydescribed, we make the material pass over a roller a, revolving inbearings carried by a lever n, the outer end of which is provided with abalan ce-weight n so that the roller is pressed up with any desiredforce.

In Figs. 1, 3, and 4, A is the floor of the room in which the apparatusis to be worked. 0 is a longitudinal driving-shaft ru nning below thefloor, and driven by steam orother power. 19- is a driving-disk, one ofwhich is fixed upon the shaft 0 at every position where the apparatus isrequired to be worked. This disk p is angular at its circumference, andfits between two disks 4" .9, carried and turning upon a pin or stud tat the lower end of a lever to. The space between the edges of the disksr 8 is made ,to correspond with the edge of the disk 13, and they areadjusted at the proper distance apart by a nut v. The lever 11. is fixedupon a shaft or center 20, and the disk 7' has attached to it a pulleyat, which drives by a band ac a corresponping pulley 00 which turnsfreely upon the shaft to, and has attached to it a toothed pinion ,e,which in turn drives the toothed wheels .2" .2 the lat ter of which isfixed upon the spindle of the winding-reel g. The lever a has connectedwith it a handle a, by which it can be i turned upon the stud w andfixed in the required position in the guide Fi 1, so that the pulleys 'rs can be brought into contact with or removed from the driving-disk p.The lower end of the lever u, and the disks 0' 3 pass through an openingin the floor A. When the apparatus has been brought into the properposition and the end of the material c which is to be straightened andwound has been brought over the drum 0 and roller 1 n to the reel g, thehandle a is moved until the disks 0 s have been brought into contactwith the disk 1), as shown in Fig. 1. The reel g is then set in motionand the material 6 is wound upon it. being first partly straightened atits edges as it passes up the board 61 by the pins ff, at the sides ofthe latter, then further flattened as it passes over the drum 0 andunder the bars m m and roller Z, its edges being straightened while itis in a curved form by 1 the flanges h 71..

\Vhen the hole of the; material has been strightencd and wound, asdescribed, the handle to is raised and the disks r .9 disengaged fromthe driving-disk p, and r the reel g with the material wound upon it isremoved from its bearings and another one substituted for it, the entireapparatus being iremoved upon the rollers B to afresh position, wherethe disks 0* s can be put in contact with another driving-disk 19 uponthe shaft 0. In order to facilitate the speedy removal and replacementof the reel the hearings in :which its axle rests and turns are made asshown in Figs. 5 and G.

C is the body of the bearing, and D its cover, which is hinged at E. Abolt F is also. hinged to O at the other end and fits into a. slottedopening in the end of the cover D, so that 1 when the nut of the bolt Fis slackened the latter can be turned down and the coverD opened, asshown in Fig. 6.

G is a spring fixed tothe-end of O by'which 1 the cover D is retainedsecurely in either its closed or open position.

By our invention emery or glass cloth or paper or other flexiblematerial in long lengths curved upper surface, and the flanges h h uponthe endsof the said drum, with the frame It hinged above the drum 0, theroller I, mounted in the said frame 70 in position to bear upon the saiddrum 0, and means for moving the fabric between the drum 0 and theroller Z, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the class herein described, the combination of thedrum 0, having a curved upper surface, and the flanges h h upon the endsof the said drum, with the frame 70, hinged above the drum 0, the rollerZ, mounted in the said frame in position to bear upon the surface of thedrum 0, the

transverse bars m on the under side of .theframe 70, and means formoving the fabric be-' tween the drum 0 and the frame It, substantiallyas described.

3. In a machine of the class herein described, the combination of theframe a, the drum 0, rigidly fixed in the said frame, the flanges h itupon the drum 0, the frame It. hinged above the said drum, and theroller Z, mounted in the said frame It with the winding-reel g, andmeans for moving the fabric between the drum 0 and the frame It andwinding it upon the reel 9, substantially as set forth.

4. In straightening and winding apparatus, the combination of the framea, the drum 0, rigidly fixed in the said frame, the flanges h it uponthe drum 0, the frame it, having the roller Z hinged above the drum 0,the board d, hinged to the frame a, the pins f upon the board d, andmeans for moving the fabric over the board d between the pins thereonand between the drum 0 and the frame 70, substantially as described.

5. ha machine of the class herein described, the combination of amovable frame a, the drum 0, rigidly fixed thereon, flanges h it uponthe drum 0, the frame 10, having the roller Z hinged above the drum 0,and the windingreel 9 with the shaft to, the pulleyac mounted upon theshaft wand geared to the windingreel, the lever a, also mounted upon theshaft w,the pulley 00, mounted upon the lever uand geared to the pulley00 the disks I and 8, secured to the pulley w, the disk 19 upon adr1ving-shaft, and means for moving the disks 1" and 5 into contact withthe disk 1), substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

6. In a machine of the class herein described, the combination of aframe a,the drum c,r1gidly mounted thereon, the frame It, hinged abovethe drum 0, the winding-reel g and means for operating the same with thebearings for the Windingreel, consisting of the body of the bearing 0,the slotted cover D, hinge E, hinged bolt F,-and spring G, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo witnesses.

ARCHER EDWARDS. RICHARD JOHN EDWARDS.

\Vitnesses:

J ANE GRAY RIDGWAY, ALEXANDER RIDGWAY.

